Portable combined waxing and polishing machine



July 17, 1951 M SEARS PORTABLE COMBINED WAXINGAND PoLIsHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed dat. 1. 1946 l -A oRNEY INVENTOR Mez wzl E 5mm.

4 Sheets-Sheet. 2

M. SEARS PORTABLE COMBINED WXING AND POLISHING MHINE July i7, 1951 Filed Oct. l, 1946 .ORNEY M. SEARS .Buy 17, E951 y PORTABLE COMBINED WAXING AND POLISHING MACHINE. Filed OGt. l, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 rn lq j INVENTOR Ng Ma wat' SEAES.

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.uy E7, WM M. SEARS PORTABLE COMBINED WAXING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet iNvEN'roR V/LLE SEARS. B ,UZ

/M/ZORNEY Patented July 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE COMBINED WAXING AND POLISHING MACHINE Melville Sears, Ridgefield Park, N. J. Application October 1, 1946, Serial No. 701,029

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in waxing and polishing machines.

It has for an object to provide a machine which can be manipulated to quickly, efficiently, and easily wax and polish a car body `with the one device and with much less than the usual expenditure of time and energy.

A further object is to provide a simple machine which is compact, durable, and strong; which can be used to spread and rub in liquid wax, polish, and cleaner which had been sprinkled or poured on, as well as paste wax and cleaner which had been applied with a spatula or other device, or extruded from a collapsible tube; and which can be rocked immediately on a support roller from the operating position for waxing to the one for polishing or buing or vice versa, by a slight manipulation of the hands.

A still further object is to provide a simple and eicient device in which the surface-treating drums or rollers may be quickly and easily removed for replacement and repair.

Yet another object is to provide a device in which the application of wax or other material to the drum which applies it to the surface, may be easily and eiciently regulated, as desired, and in which the wax may be replenished at will, with ease.

Still another object is to provide in a portableY surface Waxing and polishing machine, means to easily adapt the machine to serve as a oor machine for polishing and waxing floors.

Further and more specific objects, features,

and advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of the detailed specication hereinafter set forth especially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred form which the invention may assume, and which form part of the specification.

In brief and general terms, the invention has to do with a hand device in the form of a casing in which are housed a drive motor, preferably electric, and two drums one for applying wax or similar material and the other for polishing or bufrlng the surface after the wax has been applied. The drums are mounted within and across the casing at each end with the motor between. Supported from the motor case are dependent arms on the lower end of which is disposed, also crosswise of the casing, a iiexible roller adapted to be moved along the surface of the car or the iioor. The lower periphery of this so-called pivot-roller is extended beyond a plane extending tangent to the peripheries of the drums when the machine is disposed in a horizontal position so that the pivot-roller can be used to move the device along and apply the material by Virtue of the rotation `plished in a few minutes.

of the material applying roller.

After the material is applied in sufficient quantity, the device may be tilted in the other direction around the pivot-roller to bring the polishing drum into play, all the time, if desired, moving the device along the surface back and forth in the manner usual with waxing and polishing machines. Thisl device, however, does not have to leave the hands of the operator at all, for either or both of these operations, and requires very gentle pressure to move it along its intended path.

The paste or wax is preferably contained in cake form, in a housing above the applying drum and is pressed thereagainst by regulating means which maintains a constant proper flow of material to the surface to be treated. The drums are mounted on shafts which are latched in position and can be longitudinally removed in a simple manner so that the drums can be dropped out of the open bottom of the casing to be repaired or to have their applying or polishing covers replaced, or to be completely substituted by other or different rollers to suit the particular need of the moment, all of which can be accom- However, the roller covers can readily be removed and replaced without removing the rollers from the machine. The device is provided with forward and rear bumpers so that as it is moved around and encounters any obstructions, neither the car body and parts nor the device itself will be damaged.

Generally speaking, hitherto, when a car or door has been treated, it was necessary to first Wax the i'loor with a cloth or brush and then employ a separate and distinct implement or device to run over it for polishing the surface. This required the substitution of tools or implements continually throughout the work and Y took, sometimes as long as a day, whereas with Figs. 2a, 2b, and 2c show details of the device shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device looking from the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is aA vertical cross-section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a partial end elevation of the shaftlocking plate shown on the left side of the Fig. 1.

Fig. s is a similar view of the locking plate shown on the right side of Fig. 1.

Conning the immediately following description to the particular preferred forni shown in the drawings, it is clear that the device has a and is open at the bottom. On top, the casing is provided with hand grips I3 and |4 preferably formed integral therewith. It may also be provided with a long handle I'5 detachably pivoted at the sides of the casing at I5, with stop elements or lugs Il disposed on opposite sides adjacent the lower portion of the handle I5 to limit the motion of the handle I5 in one direction or the other.

Disposed within the casing is a motor housing i8, preferably an electric motor I9, the shaft of which is journalled in the side wall I2 and projects therethrough. A cable 20 connects to the motor and extends through the casing to be plugged into a suitable socket (Fig. 1). The motor housing I8 is mounted on two spaced dependent pedestal hanger arms 2| and 22, aligned centrally and transversely of the casing, and these arms, at their lower ends, are bored to receive a shaft 25 on which is rotatably mounted a sleeve 2li supporting thereon a feit roller 25, the lower periphery of which is disposed somewhat below the lower open face of the casing of the machine. This roller 25 is disposed centrally and transversely of the casing, as shown in Fig. 1, and it will be seen in this figure, that the side walls of the casing on each side of the roller ends slope upwardly therefrom as at 26.

At opposite ends of the casing and disposed therewithin are two large drums or rollers of aluminum 2l and 28 supported by pairs of disks from a sleeve 35 within which are disposed rotatable shafts 3|. As will be seen from Fig. 6, these shafts are non-circular and the sleeve ends 3i? are likewise non-circular, so that the shafts will rotate the sleeves and, therefore, the drums. These two shafts are driven through a series of spur gears and spiral gears identical in relation as follows:

lShafts 3| at the square ends project through bushings 32 disposed rotatably in the side wall i2. On the end of the bushings 32 aredisposed gears 33 meshing with gears 34 supported rotatably from stub shafts 35 journalled in side plate or wall I2. Gears 34 mesh with gears 36 rotatable on pin shafts 31 and connected to gears 38 axially aligned therewith. These gears 38 mesh on opposite sides of the gear 39 on the end of the drive shaft 4d of the drive motor I9. It will be clear from an examination of the gear relations thus described, that both drums 21 and 2B, with this connection, will be driven in the same direction, and from an inspection of Fig. 1, it will be seen that the lowermost points on the peripheries of these drums, as Shown, are much higher than the lowermost point of the roller 25.

It is an easy matter to remove the drums from their shafts for the purpose of repair or replacement of the covering of the drums which will be casing having top wall Iii, side walls II and I2,

described later; however, as will hereafter be seen, the coverings can be replaced Without removing the drums from the machine. The ends of shafts 3| opposite the above-mentioned gear series are cylindrical as at 4| and are secured as by removable pins 42a in shaft hubs 42 which are free running within bronze. bushings 43 which are press-fitted in the side wall II of the casing. The outer ends of these hubs 42Y extend beyond the outer edge of the wall II and have therein annular grooves 43a. or undercut portions riding in keyhole slots i4 in slide plates 45. The plates 45 are slidably mounted on side wall and are held thereon by screws 46 riding in straight slots 41 in the plates 45. It is obvious that when the shaft hubs 42 are engaged in the narrow portion of the keyhole slots the shafts 3| cannot be moved axially but when the slide plates 45 are moved from their locking position, it is easy to remove the shafts 3| by applying pressure to their opposite ends which project through and beyond the operating gears and through the cover plate 48, as shown in Fig. 2r.

With the shafts removed in this manner, the drums 21 and 28 can be dropped or lowered for the purpose of repairing or renewing their treating surface in a manner to be hereinafter explained.

As shown in Fig. 2, the ends of the casing enclosing the parts are provided with rubber bumpers 49 to avoid shock to the device when hitting obstructions or damage to any obstacle encountered.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 4, and 6, it will be perceived how the treating surface or covers around the drums may be applied and replaced. This applies equally to both drums. Each drum is encircled by a rubber or similar cushion 5|| suitably attached to the drum as by cement. Around this rubber cushion is adapted to be wrapped a cover 5| which is of proper material to engage the surface to be treated such as, for instance, the body of a car to be polished. As shown in Fig. 6, the ends of this cover are bent down, when positioned, into a groove formed by a gap between the ends of the cushionv 5|. In this gap and bearing against the ends of the cover `5|- is a hold-down strip 52 from which studs 53 extend through holes in the drum and the ends of these studs are headed and adapted to extend into the well-known keyhole slots in a cover-locking strip 54. This strip 54 is slidable along the inner surface of the drums and is guided by slots therein engaging screws 55 fastened to the inner surface of the drums. Moving the strip 55 in one direction will lock thev cover-holding plate, and moving it in the other direction will obviously enable the holding plate to be lifted up so that the cover 5| can be removed for repair or replacement.

In this machine, one of the drums is used for applying wax or other material for the treatment of surfaces. In the drawings this drum is the one shown at the right in Fig. l. If the material is wax, for instance, it may be disposed as a cake 5G in a housing portion of the casing disposed over the operating parts. This mate'- rial is pressed against the surface of the apply- `ing. drum by means of a presser plate 51 disposedl on top of the cake within the housing and pressed down by a stem 58 having a knob 55 at the top thereof. This stem has ratchet teeth 6|) on one side thereof which are engaged by a springpressed pawl 6I pivoted on the housing or--cas'- ing and adapted to allow the stem 58' to be pressed down to increase -or maintain the pressure on the cake.

In the operation of the device, let us assume that the drums are covered with suitable material for the purposes intended and the cake or other material is housed in position and pressed down on its drum, and we wish to wax and polish the surface of an automobile. The drums are initiated to rotation by turning on a switch to start the motor I9 whereupon the drums rotate in the same direction at a proper speed. When a car body is being treated, the device is grasped in the hand by the grips I3 and I4 with the felt roller resting on the surface to be treated. By tilting the device one way around the roller 25 as a resting and pivot point or line the drum at the right in Fig. l, namely the applying drum, is brought into contact with the surface to apply and rub in the material such as wax from the cake 56. To best apply present day waxes of the solid type to the car or other surface, it is desirable to apply the wax by spreading in a thin coat over the surface to be waxed and then allowed to dry or harden for a few minutes. This is to permit the solvents in the wax to partially evaporate. Then when the surface is lvigorously rubbed by the proper type of cloth a bright lustre results. The operator covers a fairly large area with wax and when he has finished applying, he then instantly tilts the machine and starts polishing the immediate area where he first started applying the wax and which by this time has been exposed to the air. The machine rubs in and polishes out not only the wax itself, but also the usual compounds that must be used rst, such as polish and cleaner, and also paste cleaner, and without the previous use of which, the wax cannot be effectively applied. In other words. the car must be cleaned and properly prepared to receive the wax and this device is also intended for this preparation.

It can thus be seen that by a simple movement of the hands of the operator, the device can be tilted around the pivot roller roller and bring the polishing roller, shown at the left in Fig. 1, into contact with the surface. Thus, very quickly and easily, the operation of the device can be instantly shifted from an applying action to that of polishing, whereby the worl: ,y

may be accomplished in a much shorter time than before and with very much less effort. In the movement of the device along the treated surface, if any obstructions are encountered, the rubber bumpers i9 absorb the shock so that neither the encountered obstructions nor the casing of the device are injured, nor are the inner parts damaged by sudden jars.

Whenever the covers of the drums need replacing, this may be accomplished without removing the drums; however, should it be desired to do so, the drums are removed easily and quickly in the manner above described; also when the righthand drum in Fig. 1 is removed, a new cake of wax or other substance can be inserted. The pressure on the wax cake is adjustable through the stem 58. To replace, repair, or examine the drive gears, it is merely necessary to unscrew the side cover plate 48.

If it be desired to use the device to polish the door of a room, the handle I5 above described may be employed. Moving it one way against the corresponding stop I1 will enable the casing to be tilted in one direction to apply one drum to the floor surface, and moving it the other way against to lift the applyinsr the other corresponding stop will enable the casing to be tilted the other way around the pivot roller 25 resting on the floor so as to bring the other drum into contact with the door. Thus the floor can be quickly waxed or polished by a very few simple manipulations on the part of the operator.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to a present preferred form which the invention may assume, it is not to be limited to such details and form since many changes andv modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence, it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

Having thus described claim as new and desire ent, is:

1. In a surface treating machine, a casing having an open bottom, a pair of spaced surface treating drums disposed in and dependent from the casing and adapted to be brought into contact with the surface to be treated, a pair of spaced dependent pedestal hanger arms in said casing, a motor within said casing and support- :ingiy connected thereto, and supported by said hanger arms, a shaft supported between the lower extremities of said hanger arms, drive means for connecting the motor to the drums, side walls to said casing having downwardly sloped central portions, a surface-contacting roller disposed transversely of the casing on said shaft and between said side walls at their lowest point, said roller adapted to rest on the surface to be treated with the drums normally olf the surface whereby the casing may be tipped either way to bring one or the other drum into contact with the surface, said drums being readily removable from said casing.

2. In a surface-treating machine, a casing having an open bottom and side walls, a motor within said casing and supportingly connected thereto, spaced dependent hanger arms on said motor within the casing, a flexible roller on a shaft supported between the lower ends of said arms and adapted to rest upon the surface to be treated and to support the motor therefrom, surface-treating drums within the casing at each end thereof, drive connections between the motor and the drums, the lower periphery of the eXible roller being lower than the lower peripheries of said drums when said drums have their axes disposed in a horizontal plane.

IVIELVILLE" SEARS.

my invention, what I to secure by Letters Pat- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,386,939 Lewellen Aug. 9, 1921 1,562,377 Spielman Nov. 17, 1925 1,643,882 Faiver Sept. 27, 1927 1,645,357 Skrzeczkowski Oct. 11, 1927 1,791,812 Harrison Feb. 10, 1931 2,014,626 Moorhead Sept. 17, 1935 2,242,678 Riebel May 20, 1941 2,243,985 Sparklin June 3, 1941 2,404,535 Schmeiser July 23, 1946 

